used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
air-craft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Up and Down "All ready?
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
aluminiumnounUS /əˈluːmɪnəm/
a silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Up and Down "All ready?
ascentnounUS /əˈsent/
an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
clatternounUS /ˈklætər/
a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement)
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
rid of obstructions
From this reading Stand clear."
compactnounUS /ˈkɑːmpækt/
a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
CormorantnounUS /ˈkɔːrmərənt/
large voracious dark-colored long-necked seabird with a distensible pouch for holding fish; used in Asia to catch fish
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
Cormorant's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
dazzlingadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəlɪŋ/
amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
deafeningadjectiveUS /ˈdefənɪŋ/
loud enough to cause (temporary) hearing loss
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Up and Down "All ready?
ever-widening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
increasingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/
becoming greater or larger
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
lagoonnounUS /ləˈɡuːn/
a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
the act of departing
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
mergedadjectiveUS /mɜːrdʒd/
formed or united into a whole
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
momentumnounUS /moʊˈmentəm/
an impelling force or strength
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
placidadjectiveUS /ˈplæsəd/
(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
propellernounUS /prəˈpelər/
a mechanical device that rotates to push against air or water
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Up and Down "All ready?
revolvedadjectiveUS /riˈvɑːlvd/
turned in a circle around an axis
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
sea-plane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
skimverbUS /skɪm/
travel on the surface of water
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
be standing; be upright
From this reading Stand clear."
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
the act of testing something
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Up and Down "All ready?
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading Slowly, but with increasing momentum, the compact air-craft began to skim along the placid surface of the lagoon, leaving a long and ever-widening wake.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a deafening clatter the powerful little motor of the _Cormorant_ sea-plane fired, and the aluminium propeller revolved until it merged into a dazzling circle of light.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading It was the _Cormorant's_ first ascent since the trial flight at the works.
